Material Manager

KION•Fort Worth, TX

About The Position

The Material Manager leads material planning and procurement strategies that support production, improve inventory performance, and strengthen supplier on-time delivery. The role brings together people, processes, and suppliers to address operational challenges and drive improvements. Responsibilities include developing direct material procurement strategies, leading the Plan for Every Part (PFEP) initiative with Procurement and the global Sales, Inventory & Operations Planning (SIOP) team, and managing inventory planning and financial activities. The Material Manager drives supplier performance and continuous improvement, develops risk mitigation strategies to prevent shortages, and establishes metrics for material availability, supplier performance, inventory effectiveness, and customer service. The position also partners with Procurement and Supplier Quality, improves SAP and other business-tool processes, ensures compliance with KION requirements, and develops the team and its capabilities.

Requirements

More than 5 years of experience in material planning processes, demand forecasting, and inventory management.
Demonstrated skills in transactions and reports in SAP.
Proficient in advanced Excel.

Nice To Haves

Preferably more than 3 years of experience in managing people.
Experience with international suppliers is a plus.
APICS CPIM certification is desirable.
Knowledge of lean six sigma and continuous improvement efforts is preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop and implement direct material procurement strategies across categories to improve material availability and support production requirements.
Lead the Plan for Every Part (PFEP) initiative, partnering with Procurement and the global Sales, Inventory & Operations Planning (SIOP) team to align material strategies and inbound forecasts with business needs.
Own inventory planning and financial management, including inventory expenditure plans, purchase projections, material reserves, and inventory forecasts.
Drive supplier performance and continuous improvement, improving on-time delivery, reducing lead times and inventory, and leading Supplier Corrective Action Requests (SCAR) and 8D improvement efforts with Supplier Quality and Procurement.
Develop risk mitigation strategies to prevent material shortages, manage expedite costs, and authorize air and land expedites when needed to protect production.
Establish and track key performance metrics that strengthen material availability, supplier performance, inventory effectiveness, and service to internal and external customers.
Partner with Procurement and Supplier Quality to balance category strategies, operational requirements, and inbound material quality while advancing quality objectives.
Improve the use of SAP and other standard business tools, including maintaining accurate master data and strengthening processes across the tactical organization.
Ensure adherence to KION quality, compliance, environmental, health, and safety requirements, while promoting a strong culture of safety and accountability.
Develop and strengthen the team, building capabilities and nurturing a talent pipeline to support current and future organizational needs.